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Tag: Our Experts Share

Out with the Old, in with the New Healthcare Interior Design Trends

Written by tsausa on . Posted in Articles.

A stay in the hospital, even if just for a few hours or a short visit, is never an experience to look forward to. It was hard for anyone to imagine hospitals or medical facilities as friendly, sophisticated, attractive, and beautiful spaces until the past few years. There is an industry-wide movement that is pushing architects, designers and related decision makers to plan and design medical facilities with a patient- centric approach. The boring interiors, old-fashioned furnishings, and typical color combinations had never succeeded in creating a friendly impression for the patients or visitors. One trend that has been getting more traction into the healthcare design evolution is making the facilities feel more residential and hospitable. This design is more focused on patient customization and personal preference. Healthcare interior design needs to aim toward a healing approach and relaxation, which helps reduce stress levels for patients and visitors.

Jordan Valley Cancer Center – 2nd Floor Waiting

Color influences.  Colors are a major contributor to a space and can influence mood and behavior. Many healthcare facilities have moved from monotonous color palettes to more vibrant, refreshing and warm palettes. Using neutral and refreshing hues brings a feeling of comfort to patient rooms. Including some pops of color and contemporary patterns adds energy to the environment. A brighter color can also act as branding for the facility.

University of Utah Hospital – Universal Patient Room of the Future

Lighting & Technology. Lighting design can play a very important role in human health. Research shows that the human body and brain respond to natural light in a positive way, and the use of natural light has gained incomparable attention recently. Modern lighting technologies have been introduced to help negate the unhealthy effects of artificial lighting and focus on high performance, energy efficiency, longer bulb life and low maintenance.  A well-designed system can lead to reductions in medical errors, stress, depression, pain and length of stay, as well as aid in a good night’s sleep.

Mckay Dee Hospital – Hybrid OR

Nature’s Cue. Many studies show improved health and well-being when connecting with nature. It makes sense for the interior design to include and emulate aspects of nature. The trend is to create connections to nature by using natural light, pleasant exterior views, natural element finishes, natural or organic shades, patterns, and graphics, and beautiful works of art. “It is not about the color of one lake or a single stone outcropping, but a general representation of regional elements. The goal is to capture a range of colors, tones, textures and shapes—in the variety of natural elements that represent the community. When done properly, the human mind, body and spirit instinctively respond in a positive way.” – Sheila Semrou AAHID, ASID

Jordan Valley Cancer Center – Radiation Treatment Room

The healthcare design industry and TSA Architects are making extra efforts to be more innovative and create environments that encourage healing in the most positive way possible. With the knowledge we are equipped with, we believe we can make space for the human spirit in the healthcare industry.

 

— Contributed by Stephanie Kwok, Interior Designer

Dignified Design for Behavioral Health

Written by tsausa on . Posted in Articles.

“[Bellevue Hospital Psychiatric Ward] is a place of challenges, redemption, and surprising joy where tough hardworking doctors and staff fight to care for and keep safe a population that many would like to forget.” Memoir Summary; Sometimes Amazing Things Happen; Elizabeth Ford, MD.

At the beginning of my career, I was an intern at a large Architecture and Engineering firm in New York City. There, I began learning about the role design plays in caring for the complex needs of behavioral health patients. While patients in behavioral health centers arrive with differing afflictions, they share a common need to be treated well. From an architect’s perspective, this means that good design in a behavioral health center should generate an environment of dignity, respect, social support and independence. Most importantly, the space should be safe and aesthetically pleasing in a way that allows patient to feel that the success of their treatment is important to the team that cares for them.

In the early 2000s, I joined a team of Architects to design a Behavioral Health Adult Center in the Bronx, New York City. Our conversations, internally and with our client, focused on abandoning institutional conventions and creating a healing environment that humanized patients.

The facility we designed provided both dignity and respect by employing strategies to: reduce the stress of patients, make the facility a place where family and friends would feel comfortable, increase patient independence, and promote patient participation.

Reducing the Stress of Patients 

A behavioral health center can reduce the stress of patients by providing environmental accommodations for various needs. A successful behavioral health center provides a variety of options for social interaction or quiet individual reflection. Single patient rooms supply the patient with dignity through privacy and by providing a place for individual reflection. Individual seating, grouped seating, activity tables and other program spaces located in a widened corridor are features that offer differing levels of social interaction depending on a patient’s preferences or needs. Good acoustical design is paramount to reducing stress in such open social spaces. Varied ceiling heights and materials help to keep sound from traveling too easily through open areas.

Another stress-reducing benefit to programs located in a widened corridor is visibility for patients and providers. This means easy wayfinding as open spaces help to keep the patient oriented. It would be increasingly helpful if the patient could personalize the doors of their bedrooms or activity rooms they frequent with drawings they made or pictures they like.

Smart lighting strategies can reduce the stress of the patient. A patient should have lighting choices for various activities. Dimmable lights and task lighting are safe and efficient ways to provide choice and reduce stress. Abundant daylight, views to nature and physical access to outdoor areas can also create calm.

A Place Where Family and Friends Feel Comfortable

It would be easy to feel uneasy while visiting a friend or family member in a behavioral health center. Warm and residential-like finishes can make a facility comfortable and inviting for guests. Options and choices can also set visitors at ease; architects could provide private visiting rooms and correctly-sized group rooms for shared activities.

Promoting Patient Participation

A behavioral health center can promote patient participation by providing various programs and activities for the patient to choose from. A model apartment is a place where a patient could practice skills of daily living. A salon, where a patient could have their hair cut or learn grooming techniques, promotes dignity and independence. A classroom, library, computer room, music room and art room provide creative outlets and learning opportunities. A gymnasium with a weight room and yoga room offer places to exercise or have larger social gatherings. A spiritual center is a place for patients to meditate or worship as they wish. A consignment shop run by the patients in the facility could have a reward system built into it where patients earn means of trade for healthy behavior. Finally, a central dining space and commissary could provide options for eating and socializing.

Offering a wide variety of programs that appeal to a patient’s preferences can increase patient participation. All the suggestions I listed above will reduce stress, promote healthy behavior, teach skills for independent living and give patients opportunities to choose how to spend their unscheduled time. These effects promote independence and dignity by preparing patients for life outside of the behavioral health center.

Designing for Behavioral Health is Inspiring

“The barriers to relieving suffering can be overwhelming and the rewards can seem few and far between. I have come to see my success as a doctor not by how well I treat mental illness but by how well I respect and honor my patients’ humanity, no matter where they are or what they have done.” Author’s Note; Sometimes Amazing Things Happen; Elizabeth Ford, MD.

I do not have the incredible and challenging opportunity to interact with patients of this population as a doctor or provider. I have tremendous respect for those who do. My experiences in working with these compassionate, talented women and men have helped me to understand and develop compassion for the complex needs of their patients. As an architect it is my task to use thoughtful design strategies and to provide the right environment for the treatment of their patients. It is humbling and inspiring to design a healing environment where patients can begin to find relief for their suffering and success in their journey toward mental health.

 

 

-Written by Rebecca Weidler, AIA, NCARB